Improvement in horse-rakes



2 SheetsSheet 1.

J. HOLLINGSWORTH.

Horse Rake. No. 48,944. Patented July' 25, 1865.

j HOLLINGSWORTH. .2 Sheets-Sheet '2.

No. 48. v

944 Patented July 25, 1865.

fiyG

r I M n W N. PETERS. Phololilhogn Eh)! u, c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

J. HOLLINGSWORTH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT'IN HORSE-RAKES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 48,944, dated July 25,1865.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, J. HOLLINGSWORTH, ofUhicago,Oook county, State oflllinois, have invented a new and ImprovedHorse Hay-Rake; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull,clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, making a part. of this specification, in which-Figure 1, Sheetl, is a vertical section through the rake, showing theteeth in a raking position. Fig. 2, Sheet 1, shows the teeth thrown upout of raking position. Fig. 3, Sheet 2, is an elevation of the rear endof my machine. Fig. 4, Sheet 2, is a plan view. Figs. 5 and 6 show theform of the teeth of the rake.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the severalfigures.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willdescribe its construction and operation.

In theaccompanying drawings, A represents the axle of twotransporting-wheels, B B; and 0 O are the thills, which are secured attheir rear ends rigidly to the axle A, and which support, by means ofcross-bars U 0 the inclined standard of the drivers seatD, as shownclearly in Figs. 1 and 2. The drivers seat is extended back of theaxle-tree, so that the driver will be in a convenient location foroperating the rake, as well as to control his horse.

Two curved supports, a a, are secured to the back part of the axle-treeby means of bolts and nuts, or in any other suitable manner which willadmit of these supports being adjusted up or down for the purpose ofregulating the teeth to the work required, as gleaning stubble, 850.These supports a a are bent in the form of goose-necks, and theiroverhanging ends have eyes formed on them to receive the bolts whichpivot the semi-cylindrica-l rake-head E to said supports. The head E hasbearings b b, secured to its flat side, and the pivot-bolts pass throughthese hearings and through the eyes of the curved supports, and thusmake the connection of the rake-head to the latter.

The rake-teeth T, which are attached to the head E, are constructed withscroll-springs formed on their upper ends, through which scrolls the barE passes, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4.

I desire to employ the scroll-teeth in my machine, and to form thescrolls in such manner that they shall he stayed laterally withingrooves formed in their oscillating head or bar and serve as springs forgiving greater elasticity to the teeth, and also to enable me to removeany one or all of the teeth from their oscillating bar or head E withoutdetaching this bar from its supports, so that should one of the teethbecome broken it can be quickly removed and another tooth introduced inits stead. To effect this object with a bar, E, circumferentiallygrooved and supported and arranged near the axle-tree A, as abovedescribed, the upper end of each tooth is curved, as represented inFigs. 5 and 6, so as to form a scroll of one half-turn. The end 0 of thetooth is then bent at right angles to the plane of the scroll, and aneye formed on it to receive a bolt, 0, which passes through the rake-barand secures the end 0 to the flat side of this bar, as shown in Figs. 1,2, and 3.

The space between the eye qand the curved or scroll portion of the toothshould be slightly greater than the shortest width of the bar E, for thepurpose of admitting this bar within the scroll without bending thelatter. Such a tooth is applied to the bar E in the following manner:

The tooth is held in a diagonal position to the axle A and bar E, and inthis position the scroll end is passed up between said axle and bar. Itis then brought at right angles to the latter, and its point or rakingend carried forward and upward until the eye 0 projects over the flatside of the bar E, when the point of the tooth is then moved back to aposition which it is to occupy when secured to said bar. The eye 0 beingadjusted in a proper position to receive the bolt, the tooth is securedin position as above described.

In the curved surface of the rake bar E, I make grooves to receive thescroll portions of the teeth and prevent them from lateral displacement.The teeth thus bent and applied to the head or bar E do not have theirscroll portions opened by the resistance offered by the hay to theirraking ends; but such resistance tends to close the scrolls. Thisresults from thepassingof the raking ends of the teeth under the bar orhead E instead of over it. By having the resistance tend to close thescrolls of the teeth the effective elastic resistance of the teeth isgreatly enhanced and the teeth are kept snugly on their laterally-staying grooved head or bar E.

Another improvement in scroll rake teeth whichIhave made consists inmaking the teeth T of round rods of 1netal,and in the followingdescribedform I make a gradual reduction of the diameter to commence very nearthe scrollshaped end, and therefrom to continue to the end of the tooth;or the tooth may be gradually reduced from one end to the other. Thisreduction does not destroy the cylindric shape of the metal of which thetooth is formed. I now flatten the tooth in a lateral direction at thatend where the scroll is to be formed, so as to give it a wide bearing,and also make it quite elastic. Thus flattened, it is bent into a scrollform, so as to fit around the head E and enter the groove provided insaid head for its reception,as represented. By thus constructing theteeth I secure strength where it is most needed or required, and yetmake the teeth sufliciently elastic to prevent them from readilybreaking and sufficiently light to admit of their being easilyelevated.-

G represents a lever, which is secured rigidly to the flat side of therake-bar E, on one side of the drivers seat D, and projects upsufficiently high to enable the driver to grasp its upper end andvibrate the teeth while sitting in his seat. To this lever G a treadle,G, is applied, which Wlll enable the driver to use his foot in elevatingthe points of the raketecth from the ground. ln addition to thistreadle, a spring-latch, e, is applied to the lever G for catchingbehind the projection e on the drivers seat and locking the rake down inworking position. When it is desired to throw the rake out of workingposition, as shown in Fig. 2, the latch e is released from its catch 6and the lever G moved forward and downward, which operation causes thepoints of the raketeeth to move backward and upward, so as to leave theload of hay without lifting any portion of it from the ground. The teethare all moved bodily backward in the act of lifting them up to free themof their load.

H. represents a horizontal transverse bar, which is sustained upon therear extremities of arms g g, which are secured to and project out inrear of the rake-bar E, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. This bar H isprovided with a number of staples, it, through which the teeth of therake pass, as shown in the above mentioned figuresand thus arranged, thestaples serve as rear guides and lateral stays for keepin g the teethalways in proper position.

In connection with the hand lever for enabling the driver to raise or todepress the rake, I have applied to the machine a contrivance by whichthe driver can avail himself of the .attached in any suitable manner.

power of the horse to elevate the rake teeth and discharge the load ofhay.

Jrepresents alon gitudinally-sliding rod, having a hook formed on itsforward end and an eye on its rear end. This rod J is sustained at anintermediate point between the thills O by the cross-bars 0 0 as shownin Figs.2 and 4, and to its forward hooked end the horse is A chain,'17, (shown in red lines, Figs. 1 and 2,) is attached at one end to therear end of the bar J, and at the other end to the upper edge of theoscillating rake bar E. Said chain being passed under the grooved pulley70 on the axle A, it will elevate the rake when the rod J is movedforward and allow the rake-teetlrto fall when rod J is released. A notchis formed in the rod or bar J at n to receive the forked end of a lever,l, the opposite end of which lever is acted upon by a spring, 3. (Shownin Fig. 4.) Spring 8 forces the forked end of the lever l (which ispivoted to bar 0) down upon the rod J, and retains this rod in positionuntil released by the operator pressing his foot upon the outer end ofsaid lever. By such an arrangement the driver can employ the power ofhis team to raise the rake out of raking position and discharge theload.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

l. A scroll rake-tooth constructed with the transverse eye 0, arrangedrelatively thereto, substantially as herein described and represented,for the purpose set forth.

2. The arrangement of the scroll-teeth upon a continuous head or bar, E,which is hung to the axle-tree A in such manner that they enter groovesin the head E, so as to be stayed laterally, and pass under the head E,and at the same time are susceptible of being removed and replacedindependently of one another, substantially as herein described andshown.

3. The arrangement of the foot and hand lever G G, adjustable goose-neckbrackets a a, oscillating head E, and axle-tree A, in the m anner andfor the purpose described.

4. The arrangement of the rod J, forked lever 1 spring 8, pulley 70,chain or cord t, gooseneck brackets (b a, head E, and foot and handlever Gr G, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

5. The arrangement of the hand and foot lever directly on the rake-headE, which is hung in goose-neck brackets a a, substantiallyin the mannerdescribed.

6. The combination of the goose neck brackets a a, slide-rod J, and rakehead E, in the manner and for the purpose described.

JAMES HOLLINGSWORTH.

Witnesses:

CHAS. H. BARNUM, H. B. STEVENS.

